1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to methods of inducing a feeding response in fish and crustacea by the application of certain amino acids and combinations thereof. In a further aspect this invention relates to methods of promoting the growth of cultured fish and crustacea by improving feed efficiency. In a still further aspect this invention relates to methods of attracting fish and crustacea. In another apsect this invention relates to fish and crustacea feeds and baits comprising an amino acid or combination of amino acids which induces a feeding response in fish and crustacea.
2. The Prior Art
One of the primary problems encountered in culturing fish and crustacea is the problem of poor feed efficiency; expressed as the ratio feed expended to the feed consumed. This problem transcends both the small scale aquarium used by the fish enthusiasts to the large scale commercial facilities used for production of fish and crustacea for food purposes. Failure of the fish and crustacea to consume the necessary quantity of food will cause the aqua life to grow at a rate insufficient to facilitate commercial exploitation and ultimately will result in malformity and death of the aqua life. Further as well as wasting feed, the unconsumed feed causes contamination problems resulting in pollution of the water or bed, which in turn typically results in disease or death of the aqua life. This is especially true in the case of the more sensitive varieties of aqua life such as tropical fish and certain crustacea, e.g. lobster, salt water and fresh water shrimp. Poor feed efficiency is generally attributable to the failure of the aqua life to actually find and/or consume the food supplied to them. Accordingly, we have now discovered that by using a selected amino acid and especially certain combinations of such amino acids in conjunction with feeding, we are able to induce a feeding response in aqua life, thus greatly improving feed efficiency and alleviating the problems incident to poor feed efficiency.
The concept of using luring essences to attract various aqua life is old to the art. Typically, such essences are concentrates of dead fish or other animal matter of manufactured chemicals similar to such concentrates; note, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,452,553. Generally, such luring essences have been used as baits or attractants to catch or trap wild aqua life and accordingly since the compositions used, in our invention, induce a strong feeding response and correspondingly an attraction for aqua life, our compositions can also be used either in combination with or in conjunction with various baits.